Beneath the Helmet
by Bosmeri
Summary: Rorikstead was a nice enough little hamlet, but a boring posting for a guard. Luckily for one young Nord, however, the scenery turns out to be quite enjoyable, especially where strapping older men and warm spring days are involved... Guard/Guard slash. De-anon from kink meme. M for a reason.


Rorikstead was a nice enough little hamlet, but a boring posting for a guard. Except for the occasional wolf or bear, or the even more occasional bandit, nothing exciting ever really happened in the small farming village. Every morning, the farmers tended their fields, and every day, the guards patrolled the Imperial road running through the village.

Truthfully, Haaki Goldenwheat had never really wanted to be a guard in the first place. He wanted to be an adventurer; delving into dangerous caves in search of treasure, clearing crypts of draugr infestations for rewards of gold, and mapping ancient ruins long since forgotten to history. His father, however, had convinced Haaki what a silly dream that was. Adventurers were dangerous types who associated with bandits and grave-robbers, and more often than not met messy, unpleasant ends, he had said. Haaki's father had wanted him to stay on the family farm like his sensible older brothers and become a farmer like himself. However, even though his dream to become an adventurer had been diminished somewhat, Haaki still longed for a life of excitement with a sword strapped to his side. So, on his eighteenth birthday, Haaki packed up his few belongings and went to Solitude to become a guard.

The training in the capital was a breeze for Haaki. Years of farm work had gifted the young Nord with a strong upper body that allowed him to splinter shields and stagger his opponents during sparring sessions. In addition, Haaki was thin and lean where most of the others were broad and bulky, which gave him the advantage of being quick and agile in combat. He did well in everything he was taught, and was an enthusiastic learner who quickly became a favorite with his instructors. In Solitude, he was well-liked and popular, both in training school and in town. Though a bit tall and gangly, Haaki was an attractive young man, with shaggy, sandy blond hair just long enough to tie back at the base of his neck, light brown eyes, and sun-browned skin that made his messy golden hair look like a thatch of wheat atop his head. He never had a shortage of young woman interested in him whenever he went to the Winking Skeever for drinks with the other trainees, though none of them really sparked much interest in Haaki, so focused was he on his training. Life in the city was much more exciting than back home on the farm, and he was glad he had decided to leave.

One year later, however, and Haaki was beginning to rethink his decision. After the few months of training, he had been assigned a posting in Rorikstead, which, in his opinion, was the most boring village in all of Skyrim. Being the newest and youngest guard, Haaki was of course assigned the earliest watch. From dawn until mid-afternoon, he patrolled the town and made sure no early-rising thieves were fiddling with any locks or stealing chickens from their coops.

The handful of other guards assigned to Rorikstead and its surrounding roads were a pleasant enough lot, even if they did poke fun at the young Nord for his age and less-than-impressive size. Most of them were much older than Haaki, retired soldiers and the like, who didn't mind the quiet posting of Rorikstead. They chuckled at Haaki's boredom and restlessness and called him "young pup," telling him he should be glad for such an easy job. Because of the age difference between them, Haaki had a hard time making friends with the other guards, and eventually just gave up and kept to himself. After six months in Rorikstead with absolutely no change in his routine, the frustrated Nord was nearly ready to quit and go home to his parent's farm. However, one thing kept him from doing so.

His name was Alfhed Bear-Cleaver. He was also a guard in Rorikstead, and was the only thing that made life bearable for Haaki. Alfhed was a tall, thickly-muscled man in his mid-thirties. He had long, dark brown hair that he wore in a tight, simple Nord braid at the back of his head. His beard and mustache were also dark and kept neatly trimmed, and his eyes were the pale, icy blue color of winter frost. Alfhed was a very attractive man, with a strong jaw and a friendly face, marred only by the single, jagged scar on his right cheek, and even that merely served to give the man a roguish, dangerous look. Quick to laugh and always smiling, he was liked by everyone in the small village.

Alfhed immediately took to Haaki when he arrived at Rorikstead, for reasons unfathomable to the fledgeling guard, and made an effort to seek out the boy's company when he thought Haaki might be lonely. Haaki was immensely grateful for the attention, and the two became fast friends over the passing months, training together, drinking together, and going hunting and fishing together on their days off. In fact, the two were becoming so close that the other guards were beginning to question the nature of the pair's relationship. Haaki, of course, denied these rumors adamantly, blushing and sputtering in embarrassment at the thought. Alfhed simply laughed the rumors off and continued on as normal.

Then, one day, something changed between Haaki and Alfhed as they spent a lazy Sundas afternoon fishing at a nearby creek, enjoying the sunny, late-spring weather and unseasonably warm temperature. Stripped to the waist and clad in only a pair of trousers, the two guards lounged carelessly on the bank of the small river as they cast their lines into the water, not really paying much mind to their cork bobbers. They already had a decent-sized string of fish to bring home, so at that point the fishing was simply an excuse to be there. Alfhed had in fact already set aside his rod, and was laughing good-naturedly at Haaki's increasing frustration with his rotten luck.

"How come you always catch so much more than me?" sulked Haaki.

"Because I'm better at it," chuckled Alfhed in reply. Haaki scowled and pulled in his line, tossing the reed pole off to the side, muttering, "Never liked fish, anyway."

Alfhed shook his head in amusement and pushed himself up from the ground, giving his right knee, which was stiff from an old injury and gave the man a subtle limp, a few good rubs to ward off the soreness of sitting on a rocky riverbank.

"Well, if we're done fishing, I'm going to bathe," he said casually, then winked at Haaki. "You should, too, lad. You're starting to get a bit fragrant from the upwind side."

"I ain't that bad," protested Haaki. "Besides, that water's still going to be freezing. The snow's barely been melted a few weeks."

"Suit yourself," shrugged Alfhed, shucking off his trousers and stepping into the water, sighing contentedly.

Haaki blushed bright red and averted his gaze from Alfhed's nude form. Though this wasn't by any means the first time they had bathed in front of each other, lately Haaki had been having a hard time keeping his looks to himself. Something about the older man kept drawing his eyes; his handsome face, his toned muscles, his pale, beautiful eyes, and Haaki was beginning to grow concerned at his increasing obsession with his friend. Even his dreams were filled with images of Alfhed's bare, lightly furred chest and strong arms, which left him with conflicting feelings of guilt, confusion, and arousal upon awakening.

"Nothing like a nice bath to celebrate spring, eh, Haaki?" stated Alfhed cheerfully, drawing Haaki from his thoughts.

"You bathe too much. It's not healthy," shot back the younger man without any real heat. Sneaking a quick peek as he pretended to gather up their fishing gear, Haaki saw that Alfhed was now waist-deep in the middle of the river, facing away from him. The corded muscles of his back and shoulders shifted and flexed as the older Nord reached up to free his dark hair from its tidy braid, letting it fall in waves about his neck. Haaki quickly looked down again as heat began to pool in his stomach, shifting his legs uncomfortably. Alfhed laughed. "No such thing. I hate being dirty."

"I've never met a Nord who was as worried about a bit of mud as you are," teased Haaki, doing his best to ignore his arousal. "You sure you used to be a soldier?"

"Never said I was," replied Alfhed.

"I thought you said you were a soldier before you were injured?"

"No, I said I was a warrior. There's a difference, lad," he corrected. "I was an adventurer, actually."

"Really?" asked Haaki, his eyes kindling as he looked up. "That must have been exciting."

He imagined Alfhed swinging a battleaxe at a horde of draugr, fighting fearlessly against the awakened dead in some unnamed tomb, his lips drawn into a triumphant battle cry and the muscles of his arms flexing as he clutched the hilt of his weapon. Unbidden, Haaki's mind conjured the image of the two of them fighting side by side against a group of marauding bandits. Then, when all their enemies had been felled, Alfhed would throw down his blade and seize Haaki around the waist, pulling him close as their adrenaline raced and their hearts pounded. Shaking his head fiercely, Haaki pushed the image aside before it went any further.

"Oh, it was. I used to be quite the adventurer," said Alfhed wistfully, before sighing regretfully, "But then I took an arrow in the knee. After that, I had to settle down, so I signed on as a guard."

"I wanted to be an adventurer," confessed Haaki. "But my da' told me it was a stupid idea, so I ended up doing this instead."

"Boring job for an aspiring adventurer," ventured Alfhed. Haaki shrugged. "It's not so bad. I got a couple reasons to stick around, anyway."

Like you, he wanted to add.

"Well, don't let your family stop you from having your adventures if you really are miserable here," said Alfhed. "You're still young. You deserve a little excitement. You're strong, you're a good fighter, you're good-looking. You'd make a decent adventurer."

"You think I'm good-looking?" blinked Haaki in surprise, his chest swelling.

"Well, you're certainly no cave troll," winked the Nord. "With that blond hair and those pouty lips, you'd have the tavern wenches in every hold after you." He sighed. "Ah, to be young and desirable again."

"You still are," blurted Haaki without thinking. Then, realizing what he had said, he clamped his mouth shut and quickly added, "You know, for a guy."

Alfhed's eyes crinkled, and it looked like he was trying not to laugh. After a moment, he commented playfully, "The water's actually not too bad. Feels good in this blasted heat. You sure you don't want to come in? Might do you some good to rinse that dirt off your face." He put his hands on his hip and waggled his eyebrows in mock suggestiveness, then he smirked, "Or, you know, I could do it for you."

Haaki froze at the image that statement provoked. Curse that gorgeous, perfect man! Didn't he know the effect he had on poor Haaki, or did he simply enjoy teasing the boy?

"I… I have to go," said Haaki suddenly, grabbing the fishing gear and pulling on his boots hurriedly. "I was going to… training…"

With that, he jogged off to find some secluded place to relieve his tensions.

* * *

For whatever reason, Alfhed did not seek Haaki out for the rest of the afternoon, and it was with relief that the young guard prepared for his weekly overnight shift. The night watch wasn't so bad, Haaki mused as he pulled on his uniform. It was quiet and peaceful, especially on nights like tonight when the twin moons were shining brightly, and the gentle breeze coming in from the south carried with it the scent of summer. However, these shifts also gave Haaki plenty of time to think, and lately his thoughts had been centered on one thing, or rather one person, in particular, making it hard to concentrate on his job. In fact, he was so distracted that Haaki didn't even notice the figure approaching him purposefully in the bright moonlight until they were almost upon him.

"Halt, who… Oh, it's you," said Haaki, relaxing as he recognized Alfhed's limping stride. He was wearing his guard uniform, but no helmet, and his axe was nowhere to be seen. "What are you doing out so late?"

Alfhed shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Decided to take a walk. Besides, I think you and I need to have a talk, lad."

The older Nord sounded unusually serious, and Haaki was suddenly nervous.

"Er, can it wait until morning? I'm supposed to be on duty right now," he said evasively.

"Actually, you're not. I talked Torg into taking your shift as a favor to me," stated Alfhed.

"Oh. Um, okay, then," muttered Haaki, confused, but he nonetheless followed his friend to a secluded area behind the Frostfruit Inn so they could talk in privacy.

"So, what's this about?" asked Haaki, shuffling his boots uncomfortably. Alfhed let out a long breath and said bluntly, "Haaki, I think it's time we stopped playing games. I'm tired of dancing around each other."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that you and I both know the two of us are a little more than just drinking buddies," explained Alfhed. "I've seen the way you look at me when you think I'm not paying attention. A man only looks like that when he's pining after a lass."

"I…I'm sorry," said Haaki dejectedly, knowing he had been caught. Now came the part where Alfhed would tell him that it was probably best if they didn't spend so much time together. He would be kind about letting the boy down, but Haaki knew that a part of Alfhed would still be disgusted at the thought of two men together in an intimate relationship.

"You don't have to be sorry," said Alfhed, surprising Haaki. Before the boy could ask what he meant, Alfhed plucked the helmet from Haaki's head and tossed it aside. Grabbing the back of his blond head, Alfhed then pulled Haaki forward into a fierce kiss that lasted several seconds before releasing him.

"I don't want us to just be friends, lad," breathed Alfhed, still holding the back of his head as if afraid he might run away. Haaki suddenly grinned boyishly and replied happily, "Me, neither."

Then they were kissing again. This time was slower, but held no less passion. Both men were the exact same height, which meant that neither had to duck or crane his neck. Alfhed's beard was rough against Haaki's stubbled chin, but the bristling rasp of facial hair was somehow more arousing than uncomfortable. When Haaki felt the gentle swipe of the older man's tongue against his lips, he eagerly parted them to allow Alfhed entrance. Their tongues slid against each other slowly, neither one more dominant than the other, and soon they both found their hands wandering over each other's bodies.

Alfhed let out a grunt when Haaki's hand slid beneath his scaled guard's armor and clenched around his rear, returning the favor by gripping the blond Nord's lower back and jerking him forward so their hips crashed against each other. Breaking the kiss, Haaki groaned loudly. Both men froze then, realizing the noise they were making and the publicness of their coupling.

"We shouldn't do this here," whispered Haaki, wrapping his arms around Alfhed's waist and laying his head on the older man's shoulder.

"Agreed. Any ideas?" asked Alfhed, stroking Haaki's hair absently.

"The inn?"

"Only if you want the whole village to know about it by tomorrow," pointed out Alfhed. "How 'bout the river? It's nice and secluded, so we won't have to worry about noise."

Haaki nodded and laced his fingers with Alfhed's, smiling at how nice the large, calloused hand felt in his, and lead them off in the direction of their fishing spot.

As they approached the stream, Haaki saw that a fur bedroll and blankets had already been laid out a little ways back from the water, and he was a bit confused, thinking they had intruded on some camped-out hunters, until he saw the mischievous look on his soon-to-be-lover's face.

"You bastard, you had this all planned out," accused Haaki with a laugh.

"Aye, that I did, lad. I was hoping, anyway," Alfhed admitted freely. "If you want to, that is. We don't have to go further than kissing if you aren't ready."

Haaki shook his head. "No, I want to. Gods, you have no idea how much I want you." He hesitated. "It's just… I've never done this with another man before. Only women. What about you? Have you ever…?"

"Once or twice, a long time ago," answered Alfhed. "Enough to know what I'm doing, anyway."

Haaki nodded and pulled the other man in for a quick kiss. "I trust you," he said before laying down on the fur blanket. He kicked off his boots and laid back on his elbows, giving Alfhed what he hoped was a convincingly seductive look. Alfhed laughed and bent to kneel over him. "Gods, you're so adorable."

"Adorable? I don't know if I like that," argued Haaki.

"Sexy, then," amended Alfhed. "Just shut up and kiss me."

Haaki wrapped his arms around Alfhed's neck and pulled him down for a deep, probing kiss, while Alfhed got to work trying to undo the buckles of both their uniforms. After a bit of fumbling and readjusting, both men managed to cast aside their yellow-padded cuirasses and leather trousers, leaving them in only their breechcloths.

"Remind me to thank your parents for making you do all that farm work," joked Alfhed, running his hands reverently over Haaki's muscular shoulders and biceps. He then dipped his head down and began kissing and nipping the younger man's neck and collarbone, eliciting a shaky sigh of pleasure from Haaki when he found a particularly sensitive spot just beneath the base of his jaw.

"Ah, Alfhed," breathed Haaki, grinding his hips upward to meet the other's. Alfhed took the hint and slowly stroked his hand downward until he reached the thin cloth separating them. With a quick tug, he released Haaki, and then did the same for himself. Then he leaned back and dug through a small knapsack beside the blankets, pulling out a glass bottle and setting it aside. Haaki thought to ask what it was for, but then Alfhed was sliding down his body, and all thought ceased as Haaki realized what the older man was doing when he felt warm breath on his fully-erect member.

"Gods!" gasped Haaki as wet heat suddenly encased him. Alfhed lowered himself down halfway, then came back up so just the tip was between his lips, before plunging down until Haaki could feel his thick beard brush his testicles. The younger Nord panted and clutched Alfhed's head as he continued his ministrations. Then, when Haaki was beginning to feel release approach, he suddenly felt something blunt and wet probing at his rear.

"What are you…?" he asked breathlessly, opening his eyes and craning his neck. Alfhed released Haaki's member with a moist pop and held up the discarded bottle, which the boy realized was a simple healing potion.

"Don't worry, I'll go slow," assured Alfhed, coating his fingers with the oily liquid.

"Go slow for what?" asked Haaki nervously. Alfhed looked surprised. "You have no idea what I'm doing, do you?" he stated with amusement. Blushing, Haaki shook his head. "Not really."

"Gods, you're so innocent. Er, well, you see…"

He leaned in and whispered in Haaki's ear. When he had finished, Haaki's eyes were wide and he stammered, "You want to put it… in there?"

Alfhed nodded.

"And it's supposed to feel good?" pressed Haaki dubiously. Alfhed kissed him comfortingly and said, "Just trust me. If it's too much, tell me and I promise I'll stop, alright?"

"O-Okay," relented Haaki after a moment. "I trust you."

The initial intrusion stung, and Haaki hissed with discomfort at first. After awhile, however, true to Alfhed's word, the slow slide of the single digit inside of him began to feel surprisingly pleasant, and Haaki eventually found himself moving his hips to meet Alfhed's strokes. Then he added another finger, going slow and making sure Haaki was fully adjusted before adding a third.

"Hn, Alfhed," moaned Haaki, breathing hard, "That feels really GOOD!"

He jerked and yelped as Alfhed struck a spot inside him that sent electric spikes of pleasure coursing through his body. Alfhed chuckled and muttered, "Found it."

"Divines, do that again," panted Haaki, and Alfhed obliged. Haaki's voice rose higher and higher until Alfhed was forced to silence him with a kiss. He was so close, just a little more and he'd reach his peak. Sensing this, Alfhed removed his fingers and sat back on his heels. Haaki whined in protest until he saw the older man coating his own member with the potion.

"Are you ready?" asked Alfhed, moving into position between the other man's legs and lifting his knees slightly for better access. Haaki nodded and wrapped his arms around Alfhed's neck.

"Don't tense up," said Alfhed before pushing forward slowly.

The pain of being stretched hurt more than with just the fingers, but Haaki buried his face in Alfhed's shoulder and endured it. Once the flared head of the older man's cock had made it past the tight ring of muscles, the worst of it was over. When he was halfway in, Alfhed paused to give Haaki time to adjust, his limbs trembling with the effort of not moving. After a few minutes, Haaki shifted his hips experimentally and gave his new lover the go-ahead to start moving. Alfhed started with slow, shallow thrusts, going a little deeper and a little faster each time. Haaki sighed and let his head fall back as each thrust sent pleasure coursing through his system. Alfhed sped up his motions gradually, until each snap of his hips had him buried to the hilt in Haaki's tight heat. Haaki, in turn, began arching his back and jerking his own hips to meet Alfhed's thrusts, letting out deep grunts and heated moans as he began tipping closer and closer to release.

"Harder," moaned Haaki, wanting to feel that spike of pleasure he had experienced earlier.

Alfhed began angling his thrusts, searching for that one spot that would send the young Nord over the edge.

"Gods, Haaki," panted Alfhed as he tongued the blond Nord's ear, "You feel so good."

"Alfhed, I'm so close," gasped Haaki. Then Alfhed finally found what he was aiming for, and Haaki threw his head back and cried out shrilly.

"Come for me, Haaki. Say my name," commanded Alfhed in a deep, hoarse growl. The rough, sex-induced rumble of Alfhed's voice was enough to tip Haaki past his breaking point, and he came violently, screaming out Alfhed's name desperately. A few jerky thrusts later, and Alfhed followed suit, filling Haaki with hot seed and collapsing on top of him in exhaustion.

The two lay there for several moments, their breathing heavy and their limbs shaky. Eventually, Alfhed rolled to the side and threw one of the blankets over them before pulling Haaki in for a close embrace. They lay there awhile longer, until Haaki was the first to speak.

"I feel sticky in strange places."

"Er, sorry about that," apologized Alfhed sheepishly. "I didn't mean to go off inside you. Next time I'll make sure to pull out first."

Haaki hummed contentedly and snuggled in closer to Alfhed. "As long as there is a next time… Or maybe next time I'll be the one to stick you," he stated playfully. Alfhed stiffened at the thought of being topped by the attractive young Nord, then laughed, "Only for you, pup. You're the only one who can tame this old dog."

* * *

_Several months later..._

"Hey, Haaki, the captain wants to see you," called Alfhed. Haaki turned to the fellow guard with whom he was conversing and said, "Oh, I guess I better see what the boss wants. See you at dinner."

He trotted away to follow Alfhed. However, the moment the pair was out of sight behind one of the buildings, they immediately set upon each other. Taking the initiative, Haaki pressed Alfhed against the wall and wedged his thigh between his legs as he shoved his tongue between the older man's lips.

"Captain wants to see me, huh? You just couldn't keep your hands off me, could you, old man?" growled Haaki when they parted for air. Alfhed grinned coyly and replied, "Not if I can help it."

"You're already hard. Been thinking about me all day, you dirty old dog?" asked Haaki, nudging his thigh against the bulge in Alfhed's trousers.

"Gods, I love it when you talk like that."

Haaki laughed. "Well, I still have a few hours left of my shift, so I'll have to tide you over until then."

He slithered down so he was kneeling in front of Alfhed and quickly undid the older man's belt. Pushing the yellow fabric of Alfhed's sash to the side, Haaki took the erect member in his mouth and began bobbing his head eagerly. No longer the innocent, naive farmboy of mere months ago, fumbling his way through sex, the boy worked quickly to bring his lover to completion, and soon Alfhed's body tensed, and he filled Haaki's mouth with a muffled grunt before slumping against the wooden wall behind him. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Haaki stood and gave Alfhed a quick peck on the cheek.

"Love you, Alfhed," he whispered.

"Love you, too, Haaki," panted Alfhed. Then he drew the younger boy into his arms and said seriously, "Say, Haaki?"

"Hm?"

"Let's leave here. Together."

Haaki pulled back and looked at Alfhed in confusion. "What do you mean? Where would we go?"

"Anywhere we want," grinned Alfhed. "Being with you has made me miss my old adventures."

"What about your knee?"

"It hasn't been hurting at all lately. I barely even notice it anymore. What do you say, Haaki?"

Haaki groaned and shook his head. "Gods save me, my boyfriend is having a mid-life crisis. You're really serious, aren't you?"

Alfhed nodded. "Yes, I'm serious. I know how much you hate this job, and there's no one I'd rather share my adventures with than you, Haaki. I've been thinking about this for awhile now."

After a few seconds, Haaki grinned, "You know I can never say no to you, Alfhed. When do we leave?"

"Tonight if you want."

"Er, let's at least give the captain a few days notice," said Haaki sensibly, but secretly he rather liked the idea of throwing his uniform on the table that very minute and saying goodbye to Rorikstead forever. It seemed Haaki had found his adventure, after all.

**~The End?~**

* * *

Originally posted at the Skyrim kink meme on LJ. The original prompt was for any guard/guard slash, so I invented these two knuckleheads. I like Haaki and Alfhed, though, and I'm planning on using them again at some point, given the right prompt (I really want to write a dungeon crawl for these two ending in them thoroughly desecrating an ancient Nord burial tomb, if you know what I mean). I picture them as just this silly, comical pair of adventurers, fumbling their way through dungeons and accidentally waking up draugr with their sexytimes. Anyway, enough of my babbling...

Drop me a line. Reviews make me more motivated to write smut. True story.


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